Illusion is a State of Mind
by Translucent Darkness
Summary: [Sequel to Curiosity Killed the Cat] Lex's mansion has turned into something out of a horror movie, so he goes to Chloe for help.
1. A Little Dose of Horror

A/N: This is a sequel to Curiosity Killed the Cat, but you don't have to read that to understand this. This story takes place during the forth season of SV (shortly after Curiosity Killed the Cat). Also, I've kind of established a writing style with Curiosity Killed the Cat, and I'm continuing that in this story. It's pretty fun. I hope you like it too! (I'm still using the Buffy-verse's version of magic) CAUTION: There is some horror in this chapter (although it might not be good horror). Also Lex is a little OOC in this chapter, though who wouldn't be in his situation!

Disclaimer: I don't own SV.

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Prologue

Chloe's POV

I must admit there have been quite a few times that magic has gotten me into a bit of trouble (i.e. the time when I was turned into a cat and the odd predicament with the frog), but there have been a few times when magic has been a blessing. For example…well, okay, maybe I haven't been practicing magic long enough to have any memorable good experiences with it. No wait, there was that thing that happened a couple weeks ago. I have to say, magic was _very_ beneficial then.

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Chapter 1: A Little Dose of Horror Never Hurt Anyone

_Two Weeks Earlier_

(The entire chapter is in Lex's POV)

I opened my eyes slowly. I was still dead tired from a hard day at work and I had no idea why I had woken up. There wasn't a loud noise, no bright lights, wait a second…I opened my eyes completely and looked around my room. I had been sure that I had fallen asleep in my room, but it was quite possible that in my tired state I had accidentally fallen asleep in a room I had never been in. In a house such as mine, that was always a possibility. I sat up in bed and examined my surroundings. The comforter covering me was a black velvet duvet. Concealed inside was a thick and warm down blanket. The black bed curtains on the large four-post ebony bed were drawn, revealing the room in which I was situated. A wooden floor was covered with a large black and red oriental rug. An enormous window let in a shaft of moonlight. I noted that the curtains, though drawn, were black as well. Other than the ornate bed and rug, the room was basically bare. That is except for the imposing grandfather clock set right before the bed I was in. The clock was made of ebony with carvings of ivy surrounding an intricately carved raven.

"Okay, definitely need to have this room redecorated," I said to the empty room. My voice echoed against the stone walls, reverberating back to my ears as a warped rendition of my once normal voice. I decided at once that it was time to leave, so I quickly stood and crossed to the door. I flung the door open with probably more enthusiasm than was needed and walked into the corridor. As soon as I did that, I immediately regretted it. The hallway was completely dark except for the thin shaft of light thrown onto the floor by a slightly open door not to far down the hall. If I remembered correctly, the room I was just in had been lit by bright moonlight, but there was no moonlight in this corridor. _All_ of the hallways in this castle had at least one window, but this hallway had none. My heart began to pound, threatening to break through my ribs and escape from this morbid place. I turned around quickly, intending on returning to room I had awoken in, but behind me was only darkness, no open doorway at all. I then began to panic, and I'm a Luthor! Luthor's never panic, but my thorough examination of what was happening at that moment revealed to me that there was only one thing I could do: Panic! I started down the hallway toward the lighted room.

As I walked swiftly down the corridor, the floorboards beneath me creaked as though they were in a condemned house, not a Luthor mansion. I picked up my pace, not wanting to fall through any rotten floorboards. As I neared the room, a faint banging came to my ears. I kept walking and the banging grew louder. When I was in front of the room, the noise had become a loud clanking and thudding. It was obvious that the noise was coming from inside the room. I hesitated before placing my hand on the doorknob and pushing the door open.

Inside the room was a single candle which gave off a dim flickering light, though sufficient enough to see the room. The room was simple. Old wooden floors and old wooden walls. In the center of the room, though, there was a large crate, about the size of a refrigerator box standing on end. The crate, or whatever was in the crate, was the source of the noise. As I watched, the crate would shake, as if whatever was inside was thrashing around. Curiosity overtook my fear and I began to walk toward the crate. When I was within a few feet of the wooden prison, the noises and shaking stopped, and the front of the crate swung open a few inches like a door. Although my heart was pounding and my head was telling my to get the hell out of there, I was infected with what I lovingly call the Chloe Syndrome. Curiosity had taken over my senses and any thought of self preservation had taken a back seat. I reached out for the door to the crate and pulled it open. Inside stood a little girl clothed in a long white nightgown. Her hair was dark and matted. The nightgown she wore was more off-white than white, as if the color had faded with time. Her head was down so that her tangled hair half covered her tiny face.

"Are you okay?" I asked, though after I did I knew it was a mistake. She lifted her head and I was able to see her eyes, or lack of eyes. They were gone leaving only bloody chasms of darkness. The blood ran down the girl's face and she smiled revealing short bloody blades in place of teeth. Blood began to pour from her eyes, her mouth, everywhere, soaking her nightgown so that it was stained crimson. I screamed. I screamed like hell. I turned and ran out of that room as fast as I could. Once I was out in the hall, I was consumed by darkness, so I just sat with my legs pulled against my body attempting to assure myself that it was just a dream. I closed my eyes tightly to block out the darkness around me.

I sat like that for a moment before I felt someone shaking me. "Mr. Luthor! Mr. Luthor!" she shrieked. I opened my eyes to see the plump face of my live-in maid in front of me. She looked disheveled and very afraid. The hallway behind her was the hallway outside my bedroom, and it was completely normal.

"Maria?" I managed to squeak out. My throat was sore from screaming.

Maria looked worried. "Mr. Luthor, are you alright?" she asked.

"I must have been sleepwalking," I said, more to reassure myself than her. She nodded, obviously accepting my explanation.

"Will you be needing anything, Mr. Luthor?" Maria asked as she stood.

I let her help me get to my feet as I replied, "No. I'm sorry I woke you, Maria. Go back to bed."

"Yes, Mr. Luthor," she said before tottling off to bed. I smiled slightly. Maria acted like my nanny sometimes, and though I would never tell anyone, I kind of liked it.

Instead of heading back to my room, I went to my study. I knew I would never be able to sleep so I decided to reread one of the classics. I found my copy of one of my favorite classic novels, sat in my comfy chair, and read until I fell asleep.

* * *

I awoke to two yellow eyes staring at me intently. It was Salem, my cat. One of my staff started calling her Salem shortly after she joined the household. Apparently the guy just loved the show _Sabrina the Teenage Witch_, and his reasoning was that the cat was black and Chloe, who had given her to me, was a witch who had been turned into a cat for a period of time. I guess he didn't notice the gender difference between my cat and the robot cat on the show. Anyway, the name Salem stuck, and I must admit, the name suits her.

Salem continued to stare at me. I glanced at the clock. It was eight a.m. I usually awoke around six-thirty, but without my alarm clock, I slept in. I wasn't complaining though. After the nightmare from the night before, I welcomed the extra peaceful sleep. Salem obviously did not. Her bright yellow eyes bore into me, silently asking the question, "What are you doing asleep so late?" It appeared that I had disrupted her delicate internal clock, for she usually followed me around everywhere in the morning.

I yawned and stretched, flexing my muscles which were sore from sleeping on the couch. I stood, lifted Salem into my arms, and went off to do my normal morning routine.

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The day had been going great: the plant was running efficiently, no meteor freaks had terrorized the town, Clark had not come crying to me about Lana problems, and best of all: I had completely forgotten about my dream the night before. Until sunset that is.

I stood at the tall windows in my study, watching the sun disappear past endless fields of corn. The sky faded from brilliant reds and oranges to deep blues and purples, and I went in search of Salem to give her dinner. I was on my way to the kitchen, Salem's usual hang-out, when I noticed something amiss in the dining room. The coppery tang of blood reached my nose, causing my stomach to turn. I peered inside the room and almost lost my lunch. The dining room was completely covered with blood. The table was broken in half, the chairs were overturned and broken, and a body was lying in the center of the chaos. Images of my nightmare from the night before flitted through my head as I tentatively stepped into the room. I walked over to the body, steering clear of the blood and broken pieces. As I approached the body, the putrid smell of death and decomposition filled my nostrils. I had to stifle another urge to vomit when I saw the body. It was my head of security, David. His chest was a mess of blood and stab wounds, and his eyes were glazed and unseeing. I clamped a hand over my mouth and turned around to see something that probably took ten years off my life. Standing in the doorway, a look of shock upon his face, stood my head of security, David.

"D-David?" I stammered.

"What happened here, Mr. Luthor?" he asked, fear invading his voice. When I didn't answer, only stared at him blankly, he walked over to me and glanced at the body. His eyes grew wider than I thought was possible. "I-Is that m-m-me?" he asked.

"You can see it, too?" I asked, happy that I wasn't going crazy.

"Is this some kind of joke?" he asked suspiciously. After David said those words, our attention was caught by a loud moaning coming from the floor. We both turned to the body and saw it begin to twitch. Its mouth opened and blood poured out as it moaned again. Its hands moved and gripped the broken piece of table next to it as leverage to pull itself up. I was sure that the _thing_ could hear my pounding heart.

I immediately found my voice. As I grabbed David and pulled him out of the room, I said, "If this is a joke, I'm certainly not laughing!"

David and I had the doors to the dining room shut just as the thing was trying to stand on its shaky legs. We leaned against the door, attempting to calm our shallow, hurried breathing. After a moment, another smell, not the olfactory presence from the dining room, but something more like rotten eggs wafted toward my senses. "Do you smell that?" I asked.

David sniffed the air and then immediately covered his nose with his hand. "Sulfur?"

I nodded and then added quietly, "Brimstone." The lights in the hall immediately dimmed. The corridor was now lit only by an eerie red light that came from an unknown source. I glanced at David and he glanced at me.

"I have a bad feeling about this," he commented. Something began beating on the door we were holding shut, moaning with an unearthly voice. A screech echoed down the corridor, and a large black flying creature with bright crimson eyes came soaring into the red light. Its wings spread the length of the wide hallway and beak was full of razor-sharp teeth. I screeched again, sending chills through my body.

Maria came from the other end of the hallway. "Mr. Luthor, what was th-" She wasn't able to finish her sentence as that was the moment she saw the large creature. She stood with her eyes wide and her mouth agape until David and I grabbed her arms and turned her around.

"Run!" I yelled, pulling her down the hallway. The flying beast followed us and the zombie-David burst through the doors we had just moved away from.

Maria was screaming by the time we reached the front doors. David, Maria, and I ran into the outside. I let them catch their breath before taking command. "David, Maria, help me get everyone out of the house. Then I'm going for help."

"Who are you going to get?"

"A friend."

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A/N: Don't worry, Chloe will be in the next chapter. That's the end of the horror, for now. Ha, ha, ha cough, cough sorry. Anyway, tell me what you think! 


	2. Journey Into the Witch's Lair

A/N: Sorry about the delay. Here's a long chapter to make it up to you!

Disclaimer: See chap 1.

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Chapter 2: Journey Into _The Witch's Lair_

Omniscient POV

Lex Luthor ran to the front doors of Smallville High, ignoring the rain soaking his expensive coat. When he reached the doors, Lex pulled the handle, relieved to find that the doors swung open to allow him entrance. This meant that Chloe was still hard at work in the Torch office.

Lex entered the front corridor of the school, dimly lit by the few lights left on. Music drifted to Lex's ears as he started down the hallway. The music grew louder as he continued toward the Torch office. When he reached his destination, the music was blaring in his ears. Because the door was open, Lex peered inside the office to see Chloe Sullivan sitting on her swivel chair in front of her computer. Chloe was leaning back with her eyes closed and her feet resting on the desk before her. The volume on the radio beside her was turned up to an unhealthy level.

"Chloe," Lex said as he knocked on the door that was standing wide open. The music was too loud however and Chloe did not stir. "Chloe," Lex said much louder, but the blonde before him was still oblivious to his presence. "Chloe!" he yelled, but still to no avail. Lex planted a smirk on his face as he walked toward Chloe. He leaned down close to her ear and said softly, "Chloe."

Chloe felt hot breath on her ear and heard her name being whispered. At that moment, she snapped out of her half-sleep, jumping in alarm. That was a very bad idea however, as her swivel chair was knocked off balance when she started. The chair overturned taking Chloe with it. She opened her eyes to see Lex Luthor standing above her, flashing his trademark smirk. Chloe growled as she scrambled to her feet and turned off the music.

"Give a girl some warning, will you. I swear you took ten years off my life," she chided while righting the chair.

"I did."

Chloe blushed slightly. "Oh."

Lex smirked again. "Doesn't your loud music bother the janitors?" he asked.

Chloe laughed. "Mr. Jackson's the only janitor left at this hour and he's completely deaf."

"Not surprised with the volume of your music," Lex commented.

Chloe hit him on the arm lightly. "So Mr. Luthor, to what do I owe the pleasure."

Lex smirked at Chloe's use of pleasure. "Please, Chloe, call me Lex. I should hope that we're past formal names now that you've slept in my bed."

Chloe snorted. "I was a cat, Lex. So anyway, why are you here?"

Lex stiffened slightly. "I have a bit of a problem."

Chloe snorted again. "I've known that for years, but don't you think you should consult a shrink and not a high school reporter?"

Lex smiled. "Very funny," he said his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Chloe smiled widely. "I thought so." She then sat in her desk chair and motioned for Lex to sit in the one next to it. He complied, and Chloe leaned back in the chair. "So, Lex, what seems to be the problem?" Laughter danced in her eyes, and Lex only smiled.

"Something's wrong with my house."

Chloe studied him for a moment before saying, "I'm not interior decorator either."

Lex sighed and ran his hand over his smooth head. He looked up at Chloe who was waiting expectantly for him to elaborate. He took a deep breath and began to tell her what had transpired in the last twenty-four hours, starting with the girl in the box. Chloe had a look of quiet contemplation on her face while he told his story. She didn't speak until the part about finding the body in his dining room, while the man who's body was before him stood next to him, very much alive.

"Wow," she exclaimed, "he's like a real-life Schrödinger's cat…Wait, that doesn't make any sense. It's like half an oxymoron. Wait, that doesn't make any sense either-"

"Chloe!" Lex interrupted her.

"What?"

"You're off topic."

"Oh, sorry. Please continue." Lex sighed, hiding a grin, and finished his story.

Chloe contemplated what he told her for a moment before saying, "It's probably a curse."

"A curse?" Lex said, raising one eyebrow.

"What? Don't tell me you don't believe in curses and spells after everything that's happened?" Chloe asked incredulously referring to the cat incident.

"Oh, I believe in curses, but a curse has to be cast, correct?" Chloe nodded tentatively. He continued, "I'm just wondering who cast it."

Chloe laughed. "There must be a long list of people who would what to drive you crazy." Lex glared at her. "Sorry, but you have to admit, you're not exactly everyone's friend."

"Gee, thanks." Lex sighed. "Well, what are we going to do about this?"

Chloe stared at her computer as she pondered their next move. Lex watched as her eyes sparkled while trying to solve the problem. "Well, there is a place we could go to find the counter-curse," Chloe glanced at the clock quickly, "but they're closed now." She resumed staring at her computer. "But you can't go home," she muttered, more to herself than to Lex. "You'll just have to stay at my house tonight."

Lex smirked. "Don't you think things are moving a little fast Miss Sullivan?"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Don't you wish," she said before explaining, "You can't go home because your mansion has gone psycho, so you can either stay at the wonderful Motel 6 down the road or you can stay in the guest bedroom at my house. Your choice."

Lex's smirk widened. "Lead the way, Miss Sullivan."

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Chloe's POV

I can't believe it. Lex Luthor is staying at my house. My dad is in Metropolis so I am in my house _alone _with Lex Luthor. Could life get any weirder?

After our conversation in the Torch office, we drove our separate cars to my house. I showed Lex the guest bedroom and quickly left for my own room. Then I changed into pajama pants and a tank-top. I curled up on my bed with my favorite book, but I couldn't concentrate. Just two rooms over was _Lex Luthor_. A year ago if anyone would have told me that I would spend one night as a cat in Lex Luthor's bed and another night with Lex Luthor in my guest bedroom, I would have sent them to a white padded room. It's odd how things turn out.

Giving up on sleep, I walked downstairs to the kitchen to get some warm milk.

I was reaching for the cinnamon sticks when Lex walked into the kitchen. Heat rushed to my cheeks when I saw him. His lavender-colored silk shirt was unbuttoned, leaving only his white undershirt between his skin and my eyes. The undershirt didn't help much though as it showed off his lean and muscular chest and stomach. My blush deepened as I realized I was staring and my top had ridden up revealing my stomach during my relentless search for cinnamon. I quickly pulled my top back down as Lex strolled over to me, his smirk in place.

"What were you trying to get?" he asked. I pointed to the cinnamon sticks. Lex easily reached them and handed them to me. I blushed brighter as our hands brushed slightly while exchanging the spice. I turned away from him busying myself with my milk, trying to hide my red face.

Once I had composed myself I turned back around. Lex was leaning against the counter, still smirking at me. "Do you need something?" I asked.

"A glass of water." I nodded and grabbed a glass from the cupboard. "I can get it," he said, reaching for the glass in my hands. I grabbed my mug as he walked to the refrigerator. I stirred my warm milk with my cinnamon stick idly while watching him pour his water from the pitcher in then fridge. He sipped the water and turned back to me.

"Having trouble sleeping?" he asked.

"Huh," I said blankly. He nodded to the mug of warm milk in my hands. "Oh, yeah." To my great dislike, the blush returned to my cheeks. Lex chuckled, and left the kitchen with his water.

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Lex's POV

After breakfast (cold cereal) and Chloe's five cups of coffee, I found myself in my car with Chloe sitting in the passenger's seat. At first Chloe had insisted that she drive.

"You don't know where we're going. I do. I should drive," Chloe argued. She is very cute when she's irked.

"You just want to drive my Ferrari," I countered.

Chloe made a dismissing motion with her hand. "That's beside the point, and you still don't know where we're going."

"You'll just have to direct me then," I replied, smirking. I pushed past her and climbed into the driver's seat. Chloe glared at me and made her way over to the passenger's seat. So now I'm on my way to Grandville with Chloe Sullivan telling me where to go.

We stopped in front of an old store front. The big purple letters read:

_**The Witch's Lair**_

"Chloe, where are we?" I asked, slightly put off by the dark windows and name of the shop.

"A magic shop," she answered casually as she walked up to the front door and entered the foreboding establishment. I tentatively followed her.

The walls inside were deep royal purple, accented by golden tendrils trimming the windows, doors, and shelves. The shelves held an array of odd and mystical items. Jars of herbs sat behind a long counter that doubled as a showcase. Behind the glass of the counter were orbs, talismans, and tiny statuettes. Scented candles and incense added to the mystical and airy feel of the shop.

A boy that looked to be a little older than Chloe sat behind the counter, his feet propped up next to the cash register. His hair was dark black and disheveled as if he refused to brush it. His black shirt read _Metropolis University,_ and his dark baggy pants sported a few tiny silver chains. He had not noticed us for his attention was focused on a thick novel. Chloe smirked wickedly, walked up to him, and pushed his feet off the counter.

"Whoa!" the boy yelled as his feet hit the ground. He looked up to see who had disturbed his reading. His face immediately lit as he saw Chloe. "Chloe!" he exclaimed jumping to his feet. He ran around the counter and hugged her. Though I didn't have any problem with that (why should I?), I was still a little uncomfortable to see this man hugging Chloe. Before I could protest, the man had pulled away from Chloe and was leaning against the counter.

"What can I do for you squirt?" he asked.

"Well, actually, it's not for me. It's for my friend," Chloe explained, gesturing to me.

That was when he noticed me. His eyes narrowed in disapproval. He obviously recognized me, but he still said, "And who is this?"

Chloe sighed; she had not expected this reaction. I was quite used to it however, and stepped forward with my hand outstretched. "Lex Luthor," I said as way of introduction. The man clasped my hand firmly before letting it go.

He continued to eye me suspiciously as he asked, "How do you know Chloe?"

I was about to snap a retort when Chloe said, "Well, we both do live in a town called _Small_ville." I smirked; Chloe obviously didn't want to tell this guy about how she helped me take down my father.

I turned back to the man and said, "I don't believe I caught your name."

The man smirked and replied, "I don't believe I said it."

Anger coursed through me at this man's rudeness. Chloe must have seen through my calm façade because she immediately played referee. "Stop it," she scolded the man. "Lex this is Bram," she said gesturing to the man. "Bram this is Lex," she told the man while gesturing to me. "Introductions over with?" She turned to each of us expectantly. "Good! Now, Bram, may we please use the library?"

Bram's eyes glowed with mischief. "I don't know. I'm not sure I want to help _Lex Luthor_."

Chloe smirked and walked toward Bram. "Please," she said sensually, merely inches from Bram's face. The room had suddenly become very hot. It took all my strength to not go over there and knock Bram out cold. Bram merely laughed at Chloe's act and handed her a key.

"Thank you," she said taking the key and walking to the back of the shop. I followed her and she led me to a dark staircase, hidden by the shadows in the corner. Chloe ascended the stairs, the wood creaking with each step she took. At the top of the staircase was an old door. Chloe used the key to unlock the door. It swung open to reveal a brightly lit room with shelves upon shelves of books. In the center of the room was a large oak table, piled high with even more books. Chloe set her bag on the table and went to one of the shelves. I examined some of the titles: _Basic Magickal Principles_ by Emma Fletcher, _Daemons, Possessions, and Dark Magicks _by Raven Roth, _Healing Magick_ by Gregory Martin, and _An Examination of Evil and Its Roots _by Arella Azar.

"So…why are we here?" I asked Chloe.

"We're here," she began, carrying a large stack of books to the table, "to find the counter-curse." Chloe then sat in a chair and pulled a book to her. She began flipping through the pages, her eyes darting over the words.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked.

Chloe looked at me as if I was insane. "Grab a book and start researching," she explained as if it was obvious. I sighed and resigned myself to a day of pouring over books that I probably wouldn't understand.

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A/N: I'm having trouble writing romance. Any tips? Also, are any of the characters OOC? I'm really trying to avoid that. 


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